Summary
G.I. Joe action figures painting titled “Real American DJs” by contemporary artist Bart Carels.
Title: ‘Real American DJs’
Artist: Bart Carels
Year: 2020
Description
The images below show you the overall progress of the painting from start to finish. I started on a blank canvas and created my initial line work with pencil. Next, I started to paint Quick Kick´s head and body. If you read my Back To The Future Painting post, you can see the way I´m building up this painting is different. I start with the rough composition and smooth things out and add details as I proceed. With this G.I. Joe painting, I started with the details right from the beginning.
I actually started working on this painting in 2018. Then I left it alone for over a year and picked it up again this March, 2020. I stopped in 2018 after painting Snow Serpent, the blue-grey action figure. When I continued working on it this year, I continued blocking in the big shapes and later on added more details. I don’t know why I changed my painting method, it just happened. So I actually used two methods of building up a painting on this single piece: starting with details and blocking in rough shapes, adding layers and smoothing things out over time.
At this point, I enjoy the process of working my way down to details more. I think because creating details from the start can feel very tedious. The result can look amazing, but it doesn’t really fit me I guess. I enjoy putting in rough strokes, see how it affects the overall painting and making it smooth later. Or, leave some parts rough and lose while adding tiny details in others, which can create some nice visual effects. It is obvious both approaches will deliver different results. And for this reason I think this is an interesting piece. On top of that, the composition is quite unique and has a personal touch.
I was born in the late seventies and grew up in the eighties. I loved my G.I. Joe action figures and video games in general. The action figures in this painting are the actual ones I used to play with as a kid. Then I thought it would be interesting to place the figures out of their ‘normal’ context. At the same time I found it fun to use objects from different periods in my life. Eventually I came up with using the Playstation Dualshock controller as a DJ mixer/turntables and use my old Tablet as a video wall. Real American DJs is the result.
Original Painting
- Just one in the world
- Medium: Acrylic on canvas
- Dimensions: 100 x 80 cm / 39 x 31 inches
- Color Palette: Cyan | Magenta | Yellow | Black |White
Check below for availability of the original painting of this artwork.
Availability
